1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for assembling a slide fastener slider by fitting a slider body and a pull tab together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical apparatus for assembling a slider of the type described is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 1-25563. The conventional apparatus comprises a pair of juxtaposed slant chutes, namely, the first chute for feeding a series of slider bodies from a slider body hopper to one end of a horizontal transport path and the second chute for feeding a series of pull tabs from a pull tab hopper to a position above the transport path a little ahead of the path end. The leading slider body rests flat on the transport path with its attachment lug opened forward, while the leading pull tab hangs at the end of the second chute via its own gravity with its attachment aperture directed downward ready to be caught by the opened lug of the slider body. The leading slider body is pushed forward by a pusher horizontally along the transport path, thus causing the distal end of the attachment lug on the slider body to catch the aperture of the leading pull tab hanging from above. Thereafter, the attachment lug's catching the pull tab is detected by detecting means. In response to the detection, the slider body completely stops immediately under a presser rod; an anvil member advances along the transport path from its opposite end to intrude into the slider body; and subsequently the presser rod descends to press down the distal end of the attachment lug. As a result, the pull tab is pivotally joined to the attachment lug on the slider body. Thereafter, the anvil member retracts from under the presser rod, while holding the assembled slider thereon and then discharges the assembled slider through a withdrawal exit of the apparatus.
In the conventional apparatus, it is absolutely necessary to first detect the attachment lug's catching the pull tab and then to control the transportation of the slider body such that the slider body completely stops immediately under the presser rod. Furthermore, it is only after the slider body stops immediately under the presser rod and the anvil member advance along the transport path from its opposite end to intrude into the slider body that the presser rod descends to press down the attachment lug. This means that the slider body is transported along the transport path intermittently not continuously on the apparatus, thus limiting the enhancement of production efficiency.